Sunday, June 30, 2013

Yeah, that’s not a thing that is unique to the black community BUT it
is unique that blacks get upset at being told not to behave in a way
that does not draw negative attention.I don’t want to be perceived as trash, so I don’t dress or act like trash. It’s a pretty simple concept, it’s called parenting…Respect authority, respect yourself, stay out of trouble, it is pretty straightforward.Why the black community insists on acting like being told not to
dress/act/mimic thugs is outrageous is beyond me and that attitude is
getting people killed.

The media has consistently treated Jeantel as if she were some sassy alien life-form. The New York Daily News story
about yesterday’s proceedings focused on Jeantel-as-sideshow, calling
the cursive story an “especially cringe-worthy moment,” and noting that,
“[a]t one point, the key prosecution witness blurted out, ‘That’s
retarded, Sir’ in response to West’s suggestion that Martin attacked
Zimmerman.” On Piers Morgan Tonight, Morgan repeated the phrase
“creepy-ass cracker” as if it were some inscrutable bit of baby talk.
The day before, panelist Jayne Weintraub disdainfully asserted that “it's really not about this young woman's … credibility, because her credibility, it's a wash whatever her testimony is. Yes, she was a difficult witness. She was impossible.”

And what did Don West have to say about the actions of his daughters?

“As a parent, we’re not always proud of things our children do, but we love them anyway, and then we move on.”

Oh, OK. Nothing to see here. Move along. Let's not even get into how inappropriate this is. But, let's note that
she hashtagged #dadkilledit in the courtroom for a murder trial, where
someone was actually killed.

The racial empathy gap is also a problem of our criminal justice system.
Consider research on the impact of race on jury decisions. A 2002
experiment showed the power of race, empathy, and punishment.
The researchers asked 90 white students to act as jurors and evaluate a
larceny case. The manipulation, as you might suspect, is whether the
defendant was black or white. But before jurors decided the defendant’s
fate, they participated in an “empathy induction task.” Some jurors were
assigned to a high-empathy condition and asked to imagine themselves in
the defendant’s position. Other jurors were assigned to a low-empathy
condition and asked to simply remain objective. Ultimately, the jurors
gave black defendants harsher sentences (4.17 years) than whites (3.04
years)—even in the high-empathy condition (3.26 years versus 2.20 years,
respectively)—and felt less empathy for black defendants.

Honestly Redeye, if I were black I don't think I'd have the courage to have children in this country.~havealittletak

Saturday, June 29, 2013

On a national level, statistically, African-Americans have far less
opportunities handed to them, they generate less income than white
Americans, own less homes, and have a much higher chance of living in
poverty than non-black Americans. In spite of this, I still have never
witnessed an African-American racially targeting a white American for
being “more privileged” than they are. While I’m sure that there are
some black Americans who may not particularly care for white Americans, I
cannot fathom that racism against whites is more prevalent than racism
against blacks. Additionally, if African-Americans were to racially
target white Americans, they lack a system of organized support behind
them. However, white Americans who are racist or participate in racially
fueled acts of violence, can do so knowing that the KKK will support
their “efforts.”

Given the past and present racism of whites, there is probably no public
use of the word by a white person that would not reasonably offend at
least a fair number of black people. Whites who still want to use the
word anyway want to disrespect blacks. Why would they want to do that?
Because they are racist.

It's a white world after all.Conservative
Whites control all of the political power there, and they are enacting
legislation and adopting policies both neglectful of the needs of
minorities – in health care, education, employment – as well as some
that are downright hostile to the rights of African-Americans , e.g.,
the assault on voting rights through photo identification laws and other
means.Last month, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
published a report based on a survey of the five Deep South states (the
states with the proportionally largest black populations – Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina) on attitudes toward
Medicaid expansion. Majorities of the populations in all five states,
and large majorities of African-Americans in those states, favored
expansion. The state legislatures in those five states oppose expansion,
and the disproportionally uninsured Black populations of those states
will suffer the consequences.

Redeye tiptoeing away from the computer to go pray.

Conservative
Whites control all of the political power there, and they are enacting
legislation and adopting policies both neglectful of the needs of
minorities – in health care, education, employment – as well as some
that are downright hostile to the rights of African-Americans , e.g.,
the assault on voting rights through photo identification laws and other
means.
Last month, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
published a report based on a survey of the five Deep South states (the
states with the proportionally largest black populations – Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina) on attitudes toward
Medicaid expansion. Majorities of the populations in all five states,
and large majorities of African-Americans in those states, favored
expansion. The state legislatures in those five states oppose expansion,
and the disproportionally uninsured Black populations of those states
will suffer the consequences.
- See more at:
http://blackpoliticsontheweb.com/2013/06/29/state-of-equality-and-justice-in-america-there-is-strong-statistical-evidence-that-politics-is-re-segregating/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BlackPoliticsontheWeb+%28Headlines+from+BlackPoliticsontheWeb.com%29#sthash.SxeAJbDZ.dpuf

Conservative
Whites control all of the political power there, and they are enacting
legislation and adopting policies both neglectful of the needs of
minorities – in health care, education, employment – as well as some
that are downright hostile to the rights of African-Americans , e.g.,
the assault on voting rights through photo identification laws and other
means.
Last month, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
published a report based on a survey of the five Deep South states (the
states with the proportionally largest black populations – Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina) on attitudes toward
Medicaid expansion. Majorities of the populations in all five states,
and large majorities of African-Americans in those states, favored
expansion. The state legislatures in those five states oppose expansion,
and the disproportionally uninsured Black populations of those states
will suffer the consequences.
- See more at:
http://blackpoliticsontheweb.com/2013/06/29/state-of-equality-and-justice-in-america-there-is-strong-statistical-evidence-that-politics-is-re-segregating/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BlackPoliticsontheWeb+%28Headlines+from+BlackPoliticsontheWeb.com%29#sthash.SxeAJbDZ.dpuf

Conservative
Whites control all of the political power there, and they are enacting
legislation and adopting policies both neglectful of the needs of
minorities – in health care, education, employment – as well as some
that are downright hostile to the rights of African-Americans , e.g.,
the assault on voting rights through photo identification laws and other
means.
Last month, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
published a report based on a survey of the five Deep South states (the
states with the proportionally largest black populations – Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina) on attitudes toward
Medicaid expansion. Majorities of the populations in all five states,
and large majorities of African-Americans in those states, favored
expansion. The state legislatures in those five states oppose expansion,
and the disproportionally uninsured Black populations of those states
will suffer the consequences.
- See more at:
http://blackpoliticsontheweb.com/2013/06/29/state-of-equality-and-justice-in-america-there-is-strong-statistical-evidence-that-politics-is-re-segregating/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BlackPoliticsontheWeb+%28Headlines+from+BlackPoliticsontheWeb.com%29#sthash.SxeAJbDZ.dpuf

I want to write you an apology for this whole world, even if it’s not
my place to apologize. I’m so sorry that you’re sitting on the stand
right now, being interrogated like a criminal instead of another victim.
I’m so sorry that people are judging you, fixated more on your
beautiful brown skin, your carefully applied make-up, your body, your being,
than your trauma and your pain. I’m sorry that you were born into a
country where a man can pursue and kill a black boy, your friend, and go
home the same night with the blessings of law enforcement officers. I’m
sorry that you’ve been re traumatized, stigmatized, defamed, and
attacked just because you were unlucky enough to love a black boy, to
share time with him, to be the last one he ever called.I’m so sorry for your loss.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

No doubt Chief Justice Roberts is hoping for a "better
future", because he didn't like this past election very much. He, and
others like him, are hoping that the new schemes that republican state
houses are coming up with to make it harder and harder for poor people
and people of color to vote, will make it easier for them to win
elections and impose their extreme will on the rest of us. Rep Waters:"One of the things we can't do is, we
can't let them distract from what we're all about, and what we're trying
to accomplish. We're trying to keep the focus on comprehensive,
universal health care reform, and they're going all over the place. They are desperate, uh, they don't have leadership, uh, they really don't know what to do, and so, I think we're going to continue to see a lot of crazy things happening,
like all of the, uh, outrage that has been demonstrated at these town
hall meetings, like the kind of statement that Congresswoman Jenkins
made, and let them define themselves, let them reveal who they are. The American public needs to see that."I'd arguethis is the opposite of restraint; it's activism. The justices
decided to substitute their judgment for the people's and their elected
lawmakers, because they felt like it.We should probably riot.NOT! This would be the perfect excuse for them to use all those guns they've been stocking every since President Obama was elected.What daily life is like in the place that spawned Shelby County v Holder

Well,
Shelby County is a prosperous, pretty place that features lots of
gorgeous trees, mountains, and bodies of water--I can throw a rock from
my backyard and almost hit the natural splendor of Oak Mountain State
Park. The county, especially in the northern section closest to
Birmingham, features numerous fine places to shop and dine, with some of
the most attractive neighborhoods you will find anywhere.
But what about those pesky justice issues? In that regard, Shelby County
is a cesspool. The county seat is in a little hellhole called
Columbiana, and when you take one step into the city limits, it's as if
you've entered a time warp and gone back to . . . oh, about 1912.

5 people in robes said they are bigger than the voters of CA and Congress combined.And bigger than God.May He forgive us all.— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) June 26, 2013

Fannie Lou Hamer ~on northern racism, speaking in New York:The man'll shoot you in the face in Mississippi, and you turn around he'll shoot you in the back here.

In the Summer of 2005
a multi-count indictment naming 21 defendants was filed by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with alleged bribery,
conspiracy and obstruction of justice. As of April 2008 fifteen individuals have been convicted of bribery.

Chris McNair (Jefferson County Commission),
convicted December 2006, pleaded guilty during appeal in February 2007,
sentenced to 5 years imprisonment in June 2007, but later freed after
he was granted a new trial.

Gary White (Jefferson County Commission), convicted on 9 counts, but granted a new trial

Mary Buckelew (Jefferson County Commission), agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice in exchange for cooperation with investigators.

Jack Swann,
(Director of Environmental Services), sentenced to 102 months
imprisonment and $350,000 in restitution to the County. Currently free
on appeal.

“This
is a devastating blow to Americans, particularly African-Americans, who
are now at the mercy of state governments. Given last year’s attempts
by states to change voting rules, it is absurd to say that we do not
need these protections.~ Rev. Al Sharpton

Monday, June 24, 2013

Who at our age hasn't used a word that was totally inappropriate; or
told or listened to a joke that was directed towards a race (Pollock,
Indians, Red Necks, etc. etc.) Rappers can use whatever language they
want and that's acceptable," defended Wilma Martin Scarborough on Deen's
Facebook page.

Lost in all the horrible politics surrounding his death is the story of a
boy. Before he became yet another flash point in America's painful and
never-ending racial drama, Trayvon Martin was just a normal teenager.
Here, at last, is the story of what was lost on that February night.

Who's there?If You.If You Who?If You can't dazzle them with brilliance then baffle them with Bull Poop.
After arguing unsuccessfully to eject the victims (Trayvon Martin) next of kin (Tracy and Sabrina Martin) from the courtroom, accusing the victims father (Tracy Martin) of cursing at a Zimmerman supporter, and listening to an effective and powerful opening statement by the State of Florida, the defense did what any good defense attorney would do when they try to defend the indefensible....tell a Knock Knock Joke that is so not funny.

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- William Frazier,
who claimed police beat him and abused him in a Feb. 1 traffic stop,
turned himself in to police today on three warrants from the incident in
question.Frazier suffered minor injuries after police pulled him from his car,
placed him on the ground and handcuffed him after he fled from police
for about three miles. [Watch video of the pursuit and arrest]

I hate to keep returning to the Paula Deen and The Help analogy... but based on my personal experience I can't help (no pun) agreeing with Mack Lyons~This trial has all the elements of a monumental clusterf^*k, one with deep-setting effects that could last for years if not decades.

I
can't say I have white female friends because I really don't know if
they are my friends or not, because when it all comes down to it I'm
black and they are white, and when I get out of my place so speak, they
never fail to remind me of their superiority.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

“It’s supposed to get easier, the more you do this. The more I do it,
the harder it gets,” Tracy Martin told the crowd. “God gives the tough
battles to the toughest soldiers. I’ve been through tough battles, and
this is one of the toughest, the toughest.”“We’re going to be the voice for Trayvon,” Tracy Martin added. “We
have to sit through the negativity. We have the prayers of family and
friends and we have the prayers of our pastors.”

One expert ruled out Zimmerman as the
screamer and another said it was Martin. A defense expert argued there
was not enough audio to determine who the screams are coming from.
Zimmerman's attorneys also argued that the state experts' analysis is
flawed.

r.e. the Zimmerman trial: Now that the judge has excluded testimony that
might "confuse" the jury and pre-emptied the use of descriptive language
by the prosecution before the jury even hears it, the words "kangaroo
court" leap into my mind before this political theater gets going.

As I was screaming and raising my banner all I could think about was
Trayvon’s parents. Wondering how they’re enduring such agony and hurt.
How they’re sleeping at night knowing what happened to their son. I also
thought about the many reasons why I attended the march that day.
Trayvon Martin could have easily been me or someone that I love. As the
federal department of justice takes over the investigation of this case I
hope for the facts to be revealed and for justice to be served for
Trayvon Martin and his family. May his death not be in vain.

The story revolves around three different characters: Aibileen Clark,
Minny Jackson and Skeeter Phelan as they document their lives on the
different side of the racial barrier. Aibileen and Minny are black maids
working for rich white families whilst Skeeter is the daughter of a
rich family that employs "the help" which refers to the black maids.
Minny is a black maid with a quick tongue and an inability to act like
maids were expected to in the novel's depicted setting. This big mouth
often gets her into trouble, and usually fired from her job. Racial
issues of overcoming long-standing barriers in customs and laws are
experienced by all of the characters. The lives and morals of Southern
socialites are also explored.

According to the Orlando Sentinel,
juror E-6 -- a young, married white woman who warned her two adolescent
children not to go out at night because of Martin's shooting --
reported that her husband owns guns. Juror B-37, a middle-aged white
woman with two adult children who described the protests in Sanford as
"rioting," reported that both she and her husband have concealed carry
weapons permits, though she has let hers lapse, reports the paper.Baez
also cited the jurors' race -- five are white, and one is Hispanic, the
Orlando Sentinel reports -- as a boost for the defense. The racial and
ethnic makeup of potential jurors is relevant because prosecutors have
alleged that Zimmerman profiled Martin in following the teen as Martin
was walking back from a convenience store to the home of his father's
fiancee.

I have to hand it to Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara is one slick cookie.

After Thursday's hearing, Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara was asked
what he would say to people concerned there were no black jurors."People can look at it and have this response — that there's no
blacks on the jury, or no this or no that, or no men on the jury," he
said. "Tell me that we did something wrong in the process and I'll agree
with you."

This case should not be about race, but the attorneys’ failure to pick a
more diverse group of six people is certain to reignite the issue,
especially if the 100 percent all-female/non-African-American jury finds
Mr. Zimmerman not guilty.

" If you like Obama, you’ll like Booker a little less. Booker is Obama
without the identifiably African-American affectation. But if you’ve
been disappointed by Obama’s penchant to cave to Republicans on
everything from taxes to Shirley Sherrod, then Booker isn’t your guy."

All:I look forward to a great event. Thank you, Left in
Alabama, Tea Parties, Alabama A&M students, GOPers, Dale Jackson,
Will Anderson, labor unions, and everyone else who, with vigor and
dignity, sends a loud and clear message that the Alabama 5th
Congressional District has every right to expect that our congressman
will conduct himself with dignity and honor.This is what citizenship should be about.While
some of us we may disagree on the best course for America, we all agree
that our Washington leaders should, at a minimum, be truthful.Sincerely,Mo Brooks

Slowly but surely, away from the glare of the national spotlight, the
sequestration policy is doing exactly what it was intended to do: it's hurting the nation's economy and taking benefits from American families that need them. Worse, the sequester is undermining the country for no reason.

I'm not a lawyer, or a detective, but I watch a lot of them on TeeVee, and they all say means ( the ability of the defendant to commit the crime), motive (the reason the defendant felt the need to commit the crime), and opportunity ( whether or not the defendant had the chance to commit the crime), are the three aspects of a crime that must be established before guilt can be determined. Dale Jackson laid out the George Zimmerman's motive for profiling, stalking, and killing, Trayvon Martin in one sentence.

According to Radio Boy ~"The simple point is this, they started with race based killing and refuse to let facts stop that story."

The inherent social contract that modern western society has placed on black folks is this: If you want upward social mobility, a good job, and fair and equitable treatment, and avoid being pulled over, arrested, constantly harassed, expelled from school, or murdered, then don't LOOK or ACT like a NIGGER. Don’t
be stereotypically loud, obnoxious, combative or arrogant. Don’t wear
gang colours, baggy pants, doo-rags, bandanas, wave caps or Timberlands.
Not only were we told to act JUST like the REST of society – we were
told to act BETTER. And if we acted the same as others, we faced STIFFER
consequences and that was just the way it was. And you know what the
WORST part about this deal is – we TOOK it.

The truth is, like everyone else, White Americans are a mix of good and evil.That said, they are nowhere nearly as good as they imagine. That for several reasons:

American exceptionalism. They see themselves as
being above history, the shining city on the hill, a light to all the
world, what the whole world wants to be like. God is on their side. This
goes back to the Puritans. They thought God was on their side too – as
they burned peaceful Pequot Indians alive. Little has changed.

Moral blindness. To maintain their self-image as Basically Good they do not face up to the evil they do – which makes them yet more evil.

They write the history books - as winners do. But,
as if basking in their own whitewashed mythology was not good enough,
they also believe in the Teflon Theory of History: that anything bad
that took place over 30 years ago is Ancient History – it has Absolutely
No Effect on the present.

They control the world’s biggest media machine – meaning they live in a land filled with their own self-serving lies and point of view.

Fifty years ago today Medgar Evers was gunned down by a white supremacist. His crime?

Bit by bit,
Evers cultivated community resistance against inequity. He made bumper
stickers, led protests and investigated vigilante violence, such as the murder
of Emmett Till. As Evers’
accomplishments grew, so did the determination of white supremacists to stop
him. On the night of June 12, a member of the White Citizens’ Council shot
Evers in the back as he walked from his car to his home. The murder took place
just hours after President Kennedy had given a powerful speech supporting civil
rights.Evers’ death
was but one violent act among many committed by segregationists who were set on
stopping the movement. Community organizers acknowledged the danger, but
continued to build the movement at the local level. In so doing, they
ultimately overcame this violent opposition. Their individual courage made universal change possible.

Shelby County is involved in a United States Supreme Court case in the
current session challenging the constitutionality of Section 5 of the
Voting Rights Act. Shelby County’s argument is one, essentially, of
equal protection. While emphasizing the progress the South has made,
they further the argument that if every district is not covered by
Section Five’s preclearance requirement, none can be. Mr. Rein, the
attorney for Shelby County, argues that the formula of the 1965 VRA
deciding which States to cover is not tailored to today’s situation—that
it was a formula made for 1965, and should therefore not be applied
today. Essentially, that Shelby County should be left alone to do run
their elections however they wish in their own backyard.

Cavuto said:These issues surround us my friends, and to minimize their threat or
slope them off as individual incidents, each bearing no resemblance to
the other, makes a mockery of us all. That is why I got angry. That is
why I interrupted Julian who is otherwise a friend. This is foolish, and
that is why after repeated attempts to get him to shut up about making
this a political discussion I simply decided to cut his mike.

Republicans were infuriated by the “breaking news” that Obama and the
NSA have been listening to our phone conversations. They conveniently
forget that it was George W. Bush who directed the NSA to start this
eavesdropping program. In fact, PBS/Frontline ran a program that
explained the surveillance program in great detail with interviews of
the Bush Administration officials involved. Frontline ran the original
report on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and there was nothing said by
Republicans. The report was re-run on April 11, 2013 with additional
footage on the Boston Marathon Bombing. This was less than two months ago,
and again, not a peep was heard from Republicans. But now the NSA
surveillance under the Obama Administration dovetails nicely with the
IRS “scandal”, so the radical right is up-in-arms and in full scandal
mode.

If you have to suppress dissent in order to have the last word that means your words aren't right (no pun intended), and the facts don't fit the narrative.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

I hope the conversation isn't limited to how mean the IRS was to her and how much she loves freedom and the Constitution and our American way of life. I hope she gets around to talking about the speech her fourteen-year-old daughter, Desiree, delivered to a tea party rally last year, in which she compared modern-day America to the dystopia of The Hunger Games:

I see the Righty's are gearing up for a giant sized, media enabled, Weapon of Mass Distraction....

The new and re-energized Alabama Democrat party is going to kickoff the 2014 election cycle with a June 14 caravan across the state featuring … Louis Farrakhan. Maybe they can keep him in Alabama and offer him the party chairmanship.

Waiting for the "media" to make it about Louis Farrakhan instead of the reason Louis Farrakhan and other Civil Rights leaders are coming to Sweet Home Alabama in 1-2-3...

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and others are planning a caravan across Alabama on June 14 to encourage the U.S. Supreme Court to save a major portion of the Voting Rights Act.Southern Christian Leadership Conference CEO Charles Steele said the National Coalition of Leaders to Save Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is also calling on Justice Antonin Scalia to step aside from the court case because of public comments he made.The leaders, including state Sen. Hank Sanders and Alabama Democratic Conference Chairman Joe Reed, said the caravan will start at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham on June 14 and then visit Shelby County, which brought the challenge to the Voting Rights Act. That will be followed by stops in Selma and at the Capitol in Montgomery.

WASHINGTON, DC — There were audible gasps in the Supreme Court’s lawyers’ lounge, where audio of the oral argument is pumped in for members of the Supreme Court bar, when Justice Antonin Scalia offered his assessment of a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. He called it a “perpetuation of racial entitlement.”

Speaking on Friday at the University of Richmond, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia denounced the concept of a "living Constitution" and said the 14th Amendment was not written with the intent of granting equal protection to ALL Americans. Just the heterosexual ones.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

First I was banned from the AL.com forum because I opposed George W. Bush's policies, especially the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then I was banned from Left in Alabama because I didn't support Artur Davis for Governor of Alabama.

The funny thing is it's OK for them to attack Reed and Worley and accuse them of corruption, racism, bigotry and everything else under the sun, but when I defend or rebut the charges made against them I'm attackingdemocrats and being divisive.

Birmingham attorney Ed Gentle had sought the chairmanship, but Worley
said Gentle decided not to take the post on a judge’s advice because of
his work as a special master in a couple of cases involving politics.

It's not true donors won't contribute to the ADP as long as Joe Reed is in control with no accountability.

“I can tell you we are broke, but today I’ll remove two of the brokes,” Worley said.Worley
said some donors stepped up "to keep the doors open for the party" and
the rent is now paid through June at the party headquarters in
Montgomery.“We are working the bills down as we can get money,” Worley said.Worley
said about half of the party's $500,000 debt dates back to the 1999
lottery referendum when the party spent considerable funds on get out
the vote efforts.

I could care less about being banned from the AL.com forum and The Attack Machine because
I expect them to close their eyes, ears, and mind, to people who don't
agree with them, and you would think I would learn by now real friends
respect each others opinions and treat them as equals.

I still believe we shouldtest the theory that all will magically be right (pun intended) and white men will flock back to the party, a new generation of leaders will emerge, candidates will run for office, and donors will dig deep into their pockets if the Alabama Democratic Party got rid of Joe Reed and his bunch.

The National Coalition of Leaders to Save Section 5 announced on Tuesday
that Farrakhan would join them for a June 14 caravan and pilgrimage
that will stop at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, at the
Shelby County courthouse in Columbiana, at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in
Selma, and conclude with a 4 p.m. event at the state Capitol in
Montgomery.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Reed has one thing in common with Justin Bieber: everyone seems either to hate him, or to love him.

I would like to thank fellow Blogger Publiux X for this succinct summary of what the situation is at present and for the factual information about the inner workings of the Alabama State Democratic Executive Committee. Speaking as someone on the outside looking in, it separated fact from fiction, and cleared up a lot of preconceived notions/ misconceptions.

I don't hate Reed, or anyone else for that matter. Hate was a "bad word" in my house growing up. I couldn't even say I hate spinach, much less someone. Growing up during the turbulent Civil Rights era my parents embraced the non- violent philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who preached that hate was just a cancer. They taught me there is a difference between hating someone, and strongly disagreeing with their point of view or their actions. In other words, they taught me to hate the action(s) not the person doing the action(s).

I don't love Reed. What I love is the body of work that represents his advocacy for minority representation, i.e black folks, in Alabama.

In 1975, Joe Reed led the efforts to get equitable representation for
blacks on the Montgomery City Council. His efforts resulted in four
blacks of nine being elected. He served on the Montgomery City Council
for 24 years. In the Democratic Party today, Alabama’s black
representation exceeds all other states in the nation. For over 40 years
he has led the effort to get more blacks elected and appointed to
public office, including federal marshals, federal and state judges,
members of the boards of registrars, legislators, county commissioners,
city councils, and school boards. He drafted two plans that increased
black representation in the Alabama House of Representatives from 13 to
27; and in the Senate from 3 to 8 in 1982, and 1992, respectively. He
also drew a reapportionment plan that provided for 25% (two of eight)
majority black districts on the State Board of Education. Alabama is the
only state in the nation where the Legislature reflects the state’s
population of blacks and whites.

Prior to reading this post I was under the impression Joe Reed stacked the decks and controlled the SDEC and manipulated and intimidated his cheerleaders but that's not exactly true. Joe Reed is the effective leader of a strong, unified, voting block. Looking at the current roster of the SDEC there are no blind followers or cheerleaders in that bunch. If they didn't agree with Dr. Reed and what he was doing they wouldn't vote support him.

Reed
had almost all of his troops present Saturday, and still only produced
90-95 votes on the typical issue. There is every chance that he can be
outvoted if 200 or more members (including the Reed group) grace us with their presence, and engage in the slightest degree of organization and planning.

To Joe Reed's credit he's a good Cat Herder. And therein lies the problem for those who want to dilute the power of Reed's coalition. My question is why would they want to dilute the black representation within the ADP? Ain't we a democrat too? Don't we all support the same agenda? Aren't we all working towards the same goal?

I will tell both sides of that fight, that we cannot beat the
Republicans without the votes Joe Reed and his supporters represent.

One thing I give republicans credit for, they don't eat their own. They stand by their guy or gal no matter what . They are unified. They keep their eyes on the prize. Much like Reed and his bunch.

In
a touchy-feely sense, the SDEC is not “the Party.” The Party consists
of the hundreds of thousands of working Alabamians who share our belief
in public education, equality, and the value of human dignity over
corporate profits. But in the eyes of the Democratic National Committee,
and in the view of the Code of Alabama, the SDEC is
“the Party.”

I will close by offering a sincere apology to someone I consider a friend for something I wrote which they took extreme offense with to the degree they have severed our friendship, or what I thought was our friendship. This is what I wrote:

According to some democrats (and I use that term loosely) If Joe Reed would step down and take all of his cheerleaders with him eventually others would step up to lead the Alabama Democratic Party and the ADP will have awesome, qualified, dedicated
people coming out of the woodwork to step up to leadership positions
including Chair & Vice chair of the ADP as well as candidates for
office.

We all say things in the heat of moment, and I admit I can give as good as I get, but this is one of those times when I didn't consider the impact of my words. This person is a big D Democrat in every sense of the word, and I shouldn't have implied, or questioned their loyalty and dedication to the party. What I was trying to say in my own clumsy way was let's test the theory that Joe Reed is what is wrong with the ADP. It was never my intent or my desire to hurt or do harm. Although they have told me to never contact them again, I want them to know my door and my heart are always open. It is my firm belief that tolerant people can agree to disagree.

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Welcome to Redeye's Front Page!

I didn't plan or want to start this blog. For three years years I had the privilege and honor of being a front pager at Left in Alabama. Friday, November 13,2009 was my unlucky day because my privileges were revoked. Prior to my privileges being revoked I was constantly being advised how to write, what to write, and finally informed if I wanted freedom of speech I needed to start my own blog.

I didn't leave Left in Alabama, Left in Alabama left me, literally. Despite sincere, begging and groveling I am not allowed to express my opinions there, and that's a pity since it's supposed to be the blog of record for progressive, informed, democrats, but the Righty's have more privileges.

I don't have any illusions as to my "influence" or importance in the world, but I love my country, and in my own way I hope to make a difference because I want to make this world we live in a better place for everyone.

This sandbox is a blog for progressive politics, ideas, and current events. I encourage and welcome your comments, criticism, debate, and discussion. I only ask you to refrain from personal attacks, insults, and name calling of fellow bloggers. Attack the issue(s) not the person. Tolerant people can agree to disagree without being disagreeable.

If you want to know more about me, where I stand and what I stand for I invite you to read my writings at Left in Alabama for a historical perspective.

Contact me redeyeblog.alabama@yahoo.com

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